# Halide Mark III vs Luwian

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Halide Mark III at 13K against Luwian's 354. Halide Mark III also leads on chart position (#145 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Halide Mark III sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Luwian sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Halide Mark III against 4.5 for Luwian. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Halide Mark III has 13K ratings behind it against 354, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Halide Mark III's written reviews are positive against 46% of Luwian's.

Halide Mark III ships an update every 11 days, Luwian every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Halide Mark III | Luwian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halide-mark-iii-pro-camera/id885697368/reviews) | **[4.5 (354 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luwian/id1519571900/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 354 |
| Positive reviews | 41.1% of reviews | **45.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#145** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 211 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lux Optics Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/885697371) | [Erkan SIRIN](https://appshunter.io/developer/617648754) |

## What reviewers say

### Halide Mark III

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halide-mark-iii-pro-camera/id885697368)

**Currently charting:** #145 Top Grossing · Photo & Video, #208 Top Free · Photo & Video (US App Store)

This professional camera app offers advanced manual controls and powerful tools for deliberate photography. Capture stunning RAW images, utilize Neural Macro for close-ups on any iPhone, and access features like focus peaking and histograms. Learn photography with included lessons and customize your shooting experience.

**Highlights:** Manual exposure and focus controls, Neural Macro for close-up shots, 14-bit RAW and ProRAW capture, Exposure tools: histograms, waveform, zebras, Focus peaking and loupe, Gesture-based interface, Included photography lessons

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Camera, Editor, and Lessons | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Camera, Editor, and Lessons | $19.99 | per year |
| One Time Purchase | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful manual controls
- 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
- 🔍 Excellent RAW capture and editing
- 📷 Macro and depth features
- 🎨 Great image quality and color

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Depth/portrait mode limitations
- 🕰️ Slow performance on older devices
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Lack of free trial or demo

**Reported bugs**

- Photos not saving properly
- Zoom functionality issues
- Landscape mode UI problems

**Requested features**

- Shutter speed adjustment
- Live depth/bokeh preview
- Custom white balance
- Time-lapse and video recording
- Ability to save settings/presets


### Luwian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luwian/id1519571900)

Transform your phone into a professional camera with full manual controls for photography and videography. Edit your shots with advanced tools, including RAW file editing and creative filters, to achieve a professional masterpiece.

**Highlights:** Full manual camera controls (ISO, Shutter Speed, Exposure), Precise focus and white balance adjustment, Analog film and cinematic filters, Professional video recording (Slow Motion, Time-lapse), RAW file editing and color correction, Perspective correction and cropping, Long exposure and HDRi modes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Luwian Pro Monthly Membership | $2.99 | per month |
| Luwian Pro Annual Membership | $14.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📸 Excellent image quality and sharpness with ProRAW
- 🎯 Precise autofocus and tap-to-focus functionality
- ⚙️ Extensive manual controls and detailed adjustments
- 🎬 Professional-grade features rivaling DSLR cameras
- 🎨 Creative filters and film stock options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and CTD (crash-to-desktop) issues
- 🐢 Very slow processing and performance
- 🎨 Cluttered menu interface and poor UI/UX
- 💳 Shift to subscription model in recent updates
- 📱 Inconsistent performance across devices

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately on startup, especially on iPad
- Memory issues preventing photo capture
- Panorama mode requests landscape when already in landscape
- Duplicate panorama files in camera roll
- Image preview turns dark brown when changing lenses

**Requested features**

- Better effects and filters library
- Improved focus peeking for manual focus
- Clearer user instructions and documentation
- Better panorama handling with single output
- Improved video editing and saving capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Halide Mark III free?

Halide Mark III is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Luwian free?

Luwian is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Halide Mark III or Luwian?

Luwian is rated higher. Halide Mark III averages 4.4 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Luwian averages 4.5 from 354 ratings.

### Do Halide Mark III or Luwian have ads?

Neither Halide Mark III nor Luwian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Halide Mark III or Luwian?

Halide Mark III ships an update every 11 days, and Luwian every 10 days. Most recently, Halide Mark III was updated on September 27, 2026 and Luwian on September 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*